Warhammer 40,000 series

Release date: 1992-2011

Genre: Real-time strategy

The Warhammer 40,000 series is the most popular and one of the best-selling games. Fans are constantly waiting for the release of a new game. The most famous is Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War. The player selects a race (Imperial Guard, Space Marines, Tau, Necrons, Orcs, Chaos, Eldar, with each game new races appear) for which he wants to play, after which he selects a place on the planet or planets that he wants to capture and fights with the race that owns it earth. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War is included in .

The battle takes place in real time on the terrain where the battle takes place. Players capture special points that give influence and build generators that provide energy; these resources are used to build structures, troops and make improvements. Each race has its own troops, super units and heroes and abilities. The goal of the game in the campaign is to capture all the lands and become the patron of all lands.

Civilization Series

Release date: 1991-2013

There are 4 races in the game: Alliance (humans), Undead, Horde (Orcs) and Night Elves. Each race has its own unique heroes, who gain experience and a new level in battles. With each level, new hero abilities are unlocked. Heroes can also buy or pick up items from killed mobs that improve the combat characteristics of the heroes and the troops around them. On different maps, players capture gold mines and extract timber, use these resources to build a base and units and improve their characteristics.

Heroes of Might and Magic III

Genre: Turn-based strategy, RPG

The player travels across a global map with heroes who control mythical creatures, exploring new lands, capturing cities and fighting enemies. On the map, the player moves only one hero and can only walk a certain distance or do one or more actions, after which he misses a turn and the computer-controlled enemies make their move. By attacking enemies, you move into combat mode, the army of enemies and your army of creatures stand opposite each other, moving combat units in turn to destroy the enemies. As cities develop, new opportunities and spells can be discovered. Hire troops.

StarCraft II

StarCraft II is the second part of the cult first part, released back in 1998. The second part of the game became the most anticipated game of the year due to the great popularity of the first part and fully met its expectations among players. Many Russian and foreign gaming portals gave the game scores of over 9 points out of 10. In the player rating it received 9.3 points.

The plot of the game and all the actions take place in the distant future, or more precisely the 26th century in a remote part of the Milky Way galaxy. The three races of Terran, Zerg, and Protoss are opposed to each other. Players extract two types of resources: minerals and vespene gas, which they then use to build buildings and hire combat units. The main task is to destroy the enemy base. Each type of unit has its own strengths and weaknesses, so to destroy certain types enemy troops need to hire troops that destroy them well.

Total War series is the best Rome: Total War

Release date: 2000-2015

Genre: turn-based grand strategy, real-time strategy

Total War rus. “Total War” is a series of games that already has seven games and various additions. Different games cover different historical time periods and states. The most popular and iconic is Rome: Total War, released in 2004, in which the action takes place during the Republic period from 270 BC. e. up to 14 AD e. For example, Shogun: Total War takes place in . Shogun: Total War in the 16th century where ruling dynasties oppose each other. Empire: Total War - during the European colonial wars and so on.

The gameplay of the game is very similar to Civilization. The player controls troops, cities and settlements on a global point. After completing all actions, the player misses a turn, after which the AI-controlled competitors make their move. If you or your enemy attack each other, then you move to the tactical map, where you control all your troops in real mode, attacking them and placing them in convenient positions on the map.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 1,2,3

Release date: 1995-2009

Genre: Real-time strategy

Red Alert is a game that was released in the last century and captured the minds and souls of gamers around the world; thousands of people still play it, more than 30 million copies sold. The game takes place in an alternate history where Allied forces defend Europe from the aggressive Soviet Union. The player can choose one of two warring parties: Alliance or USSR. Accordingly, the goal of the game for the Allies is to stop Stalin before he takes over the whole world, for the USSR - to achieve the complete capture of Europe. Depending on the side chosen, the player's victory results in one of two alternative endings.

Battles in the game take place both on land, on water and in the air. Each side can have its own base and can train ground forces, air forces and navies. Each side also has unique features. The game mechanics mean that now even a simple infantryman can destroy a tank. A tank can easily destroy a machine-gun pillbox; a small group of grenade launchers can just as easily deal with a tank if it is not covered by anti-personnel equipment or its own infantry, which forced them to use it in battle Various types troops.

Europa Universalis series of games

Release date: 2000-2013

Genre: turn-based global strategy

Continues the series of global strategies Europa Universalis. Like previous games in the series, the third part invites you to lead one of the states of the world . The essence of the game: to develop national ideas that give the game power certain advantages; As new government technologies are discovered, it becomes possible to choose one of the national ideas. The game takes place in real time, but the player’s reaction speed is not required, since the game can be paused at any time. The game takes place on a schematically depicted world map, divided into more than 1,500 sea and land provinces.

The player can take control of any country that existed during this historical period (about 200 states in total). Under his control are the country's economy, the formation and management of armies and navies, diplomacy, the introduction of new technologies, the internal politics of the state, changing the state religion and the colonization of new lands.

A feature of the game is its connection to real history (note that in the third part of the series it is no longer tied to history and the gameplay is more free); there are historical rulers predetermined for each country, each of whom has certain abilities that influence the game, real-life commanders (such as Suvorov or Napoleon I Bonaparte), pioneers, explorers and sailors (such as Columbus, Ermac and Ferdinand Magellan ), as well as historical events that usually occur in the same country and at the same time as in real history (for example, in 1517 an event occurs that makes it possible to convert to Protestantism)

Company of Heroes 1.2

Release date: 2006

The gameplay of Company of Heroes is very similar to Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War. The player commands entire squads of fighters, but there are some unique units. Each unit has a life scale (not an individual fighter), and if the unit’s lives are damaged when the unit is damaged, the entire unit dies. The player can equip infantry units with various weapons, choosing which weapon is more promising in battle. After the death of a squad, weapons remain that can be picked up and equipped with them for another squad. This even applies to weapons stationary type, such as anti-tank guns, heavy machine guns and mortars.

Each side in the game is divided into three unique directions - infantry, airborne and tank for the Americans and defensive, offensive and propaganda for the Germans, advancement in which gives access to new combat units and attacks (for example, a stormtrooper raid). Another important difference is that squads and units in the game have three levels of experience. After destroying an enemy, a new level is obtained that increases the damage, speed, health, armor or viewing range of the combat unit, depending on its type.

The game has three types of resources: weapons, fuel and personnel. Personnel are used to construct buildings, recruit new combat units, both infantry and armored vehicles, fuel, in turn, to build buildings and armored vehicles, and weapons - to provide units with additional weapons, such as a grenade launcher, for artillery and air strikes, or for to give your equipment new capabilities. Replenishment of resources is carried out using checkpoints.

Age of Empires III

Genre: Real-time strategy

Age of Empires III is a strategy game that has earned worldwide recognition thanks to its innovative and exciting gameplay. Age of Empires received big ratings on gaming portals and magazines. A special feature of this game is its well-developed artificial intelligence (the opponent is controlled by a computer). The player controls one of the powers (Great Britain, Prussia, Holland, Spain, Portugal, the Russian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, France), which set off to conquer the new world (America).

The main action takes place in the colonies, on a map familiar to such games, but now each power has a hometown in the Old World. He serves the sole purpose of helping his colony. There are three resources in the game: food, wood and money. Which produce various buildings. Transitions between eras, five eras: exploration, colonization, fortresses, industrial and empire. He trains military academies, bandages soldiers and sends them to colonies. The infantry depends on the nationality of the city, for the Spaniards it will be rodellers, and for the Russians it will be archers and Cossacks. The academy is also improving the parameters of the troops.

Battles take place in real time. The maximum size of a detachment and group of soldiers highlighted by a “frame” is 50 units. The shooting infantry has four formations: a regular line, which is convenient for firing in volleys, a sparse formation, which reduces losses from artillery fire, hand-to-hand combat and square. Melee infantry has three formations, two of the same, melee and square, and a circular formation to cover the riflemen. The cavalry learned three formations - the same close combat and square, as well as an offensive mode with reduced speed, but with damage inflicted over an area.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Genre: Turn-based strategy, Tactical RPG,

The game is a remake (remake) of a popular and old game X-COM: UFO Defense, released back in 1993. Aliens attack planet Earth and begin an alien invasion. The game is played on behalf of the commander of the secret international organization XCOM (unit for combating aliens), which has the most advanced technologies, weapons and scientific developments of mankind. It employs the best specialists in the world - military men and scientists. The organization must conduct military operations against aliens that threaten the existence of human civilization.

The player is provided with the central XCOM base, from which the strategic management of the organization is carried out: monitoring the actions of aliens on the global world map using a satellite network, distributing funding for the development of scientific and technical potential, arming and deploying interceptors to destroy flying saucers, as well as conducting combat operations against aliens using existing fighters in ground skirmishes. The base is presented to the player in the form of an “ant farm” - a section of soil that allows you to look at the premises from the side.

In Tactical combat, fighters perform up to two actions in turn - running, shooting, throwing a grenade, using a first aid kit. Each fighter has only three characteristics: accuracy, willpower and health points. After the first promotion in rank, a soldier receives a specialization. This could be an attack aircraft, a sniper, a heavy infantryman or a support soldier.

Homeworld

Genre: real time strategy

Well-developed graphics and three-dimensional gaming space - the implementation of six degrees of freedom (you can view the battlefield, the battle fleet from different angles) of the movement of game objects and the presence of thoughtful fleet management in three dimensions. A rich and complex plot that gradually reveals itself during the game. In the next game mission, the player receives the fleet with which he completed the previous one.

At the beginning of the game, the player can choose a fleet of two races, Kushan or Taidan: this does not affect the further plot in any way, only the combat units change. A key feature of both the Kushan and Taidan navies is the presence of a main mothership that serves as the main base of operations. The mothership has its own weapons and a hyperdrive, which allows it to overcome significant space.

The entire space fleet is divided into a combat fleet and a support fleet. The support fleet includes special ships, such as a resource collector and controller, a research ship, a probe, a stealth ship detector ship, and a gravity well generator. The combat fleet is divided into classes: Small ships - fighters, corvettes, Heavy ships - frigates, Super-heavy ships, Flagships.

Stronghold game series

Release date: 1993-2014

Genre: Real time strategy,

The game system of all games in the series is based on an economic simulator of a medieval city or castle. The games have a number of unique parameters that are typical only for games in the Stronghold series. Thus, in the first Stronghold, the “popularity” parameter was introduced for the first time, affecting the performance and population size. The combat system is standard for strategies - direct control of groups of units. The economic component is one of the main ones in the games of the series. There are quite complex and long production chains. As a rule, in the games of the series, more attention is paid to the economic rather than the military component of medieval castles.

All games in the series, except Stronghold Kingdoms, have campaigns (a series of story-related missions) and a map editor mode. Stronghold has a single campaign, while other games have multiple campaigns.

All games except Stronghold and Stronghold Kingdoms allow you to play against computer opponents on a selected map. Stronghold and Stronghold 2 have a siege mode (siege or defend a castle without running an economy). In the first games in the series (up to and including Stronghold 2) there is a free construction mode (running an economy without war).

Spore

Spore game is a simulator of the evolution of life on the planet, as well as a strategy and space simulator. The goal of the game is to develop a creature from a microorganism to an advanced space race. While progressing through the game, it is possible to make changes to the creature, improving its characteristics. Also, as it develops, the player will independently create various equipment and buildings, or choose ready-made options from the catalogue.

At the beginning of the game, the player takes control of a microorganism living in an aquatic environment. At this stage of the game - To survive, the microorganism needs to feed on pieces of meat or algae, and also try not to be eaten by other carnivorous creatures. When food is eaten, the cell grows and turns into a microorganism. After which the creature gets out to the ground, where it also develops. Over time, under your leadership there will be a tribe, civilization and space that you will have to manage.

Ground Control 1.2

Release date: 2000, 2004

"Deity: Original Sin" - a strategic turn-based RPG with a top-down view. The game takes place in a fictional fantasy universe, where two heroes go on a dangerous adventure in search of a mysterious order called “The Source”. Adherents of the order use forbidden magic and practice sacrifices for their dark purposes. One of the best indie projects in recent times. The game was made with money from donations from players and thanks to this it turned out to be a one-piece project made with soul.

The project is distinguished by good graphics, a large and interesting universe, as well as many quests and side tasks, but the main feature was the interaction with the outside world. The player can combine various items, use them as barricades and weapons, or harness the power of the elements. Became the best indie project according to many gaming magazines.

Cities: Skylines

Release date: 2015

Genre: City planning simulator,

Urban planning strategy with elements of economics and logistics. The game is an advanced simulator in which the player must build a modern metropolis and create better conditions for a comfortable life for citizens, with limited finances and resources.

The game will delight you with ample opportunities in the construction of buildings, the creation of communications, as well as the development of the infrastructure of your city. Particular attention is paid to small details such as electrifying houses, laying water supply and sewerage systems, as well as creating good conditions for business.

XCOM 2

Release date: 2016

Genre: Turn-based strategy, RPG

XCOM 2 is a turn-based tactical strategy with RPG elements. The plot of the game tells about the Earth, which was captured by aliens. The interventionists broke the resistance and completely colonized the planet, establishing constant surveillance and control over the remnants of humanity. But on one of the outskirts of a big city, the XCOM organization begins to work again. A lot of people were waiting for this game and it was a success. Most gaming magazines recognized it best game of the year, as well as the best strategies of the year.

The gameplay is the same as in the first XCOM. We download the flying base, we land on missions with our squad and on hexagonal maps in a step-by-step mode we destroy all the aliens, we gain experience, fighters and download their perks. During the passage, you can try out a large set of alien weapons, upgrade your skills and specializations, and also fight with superior forces of space invaders.

Stellaris

Release date: 2016

Genre: Global space strategy.

Space 4X real-time strategy. The plot of the game is about the confrontation between extraterrestrial civilizations that explore the depths of space, colonize new planets, extract valuable resources and strive for complete dominance in the entire galaxy.

The player will be able to choose one of many races, determine political views and main directions in development, and then bring the created civilization to world domination. Key Features Stellaris - generated galaxies and planets, a wide arsenal of warships, and the ability to use military force or diplomacy.

website/XGO

Top best strategies that can be played online or online with friends and random opponents, description of ways to play

Strategies are games in which you can feel like a king, ruler, and even God. They do not feature dynamic gameplay (as in shooters), but they force the player to think logically, develop tactics, and make various decisions. Victory in them depends on the user's ability to foresee the future actions of the opponent, coordinate the actions of his army and calculate his strength.

At other times, strategies are not only battles between thousands of troops. Behind the entertainment lies a complex economic system, the development of which will also bring you victory in the game. And sometimes there are no battles at all - some developers release exclusively economic strategies based on some kind of business (or in other areas).

In any case, the strategies can keep you glued to the screen for a long time. In this article, we have presented the TOP best strategies on PC of all time, in which you will find decent games. They can be played with friends, teaming up against AI, alone, or against other users. For convenience, the strategies are presented in the form of a list that describes their main advantages.

Of course, you can express your opinion in the comments on the articles, and those who don’t have time to download strategies on a PC can look at the list of the best rated online browser strategies that you can start playing right now.

Warcraft III - online

Out: 03.06.2002

Genre: real-time strategy with RPG elements

The essence of the game lies in the uniform construction of a base, pumping up heroes and recruiting an army. For each game stage and situation, different actions are prioritized, of which there are an inexorable variety, which in itself determined the incredible success of the game among gamers. It is worth noting that different races have different priorities, which creates a certain abstract balance.

Of course, the game achieved success primarily because the history of Warcraft is quite old, and the first game in the series was released back in 1994 on DOS, which allowed it to win crowds of fans at the dawn of the gaming industry. The entire Warcraft series has a deep and thoughtful history, on which the plot of Warcraft III is based, although it is not important here, it is necessary for the full perception of the game.

For the most part, the game received recognition for its good balance of races and atypical gameplay for those years, which marked the beginning new era strategies.

• Balanced hero leveling system;
• Balanced economic system;
• Interesting solo company;
• Balan races;
• You can play online;
• The graphics are outdated.

You can play Warcraft online on servers: Tangle, Garena, iCCup.

Heroes of Might and Magic III - online

Out: 28.02.1999

Genre: Turn-based strategy with RPG elements

Although the series of “heroes” is quite old, it has never acquired a significant plot. First of all, in the games of the series, the gameplay and gaming component are valued, and the plot is not at all important.

The gameplay itself boils down to the fact that the player needs to destroy all opponents on the map. Initially, the player has an undeveloped castle and one hero under his command. The castle is gradually upgraded by constructing new buildings, which opens up access to hiring new creatures. The hero can be upgraded in battle, or by distributing gold from chests to your troops. To win, it is enough to destroy all enemy heroes and capture all castles.

There are a total of 9 races in the game (specifically in the third part), including:

• Castle – people;
• Stronghold - elves;
• The tower is the residence of magicians;
• The fortress is a swamp;
• Citadel - barbarians;
• Inferno - demons;
• Necropolis - undead;
• Dungeon - command underground creatures;
• Conjugation - command the elements of the elements.

Each race has its own orientations, advantages, and special skills. For example, necropolis can raise the dead, inferno can turn its defeated fighters into demons, and so on.

Only the 3rd and 5th parts of the game are in demand among players, while the rest either fall short in gameplay or have too good graphics that make your eyes bleed out. It's about about the excessive detailing of the 6th and 7th parts of the game, which played a disservice. The players did not like the fourth part because of the terrible models and textures.

It is the third part of the heroes that is considered the genius of the series, which is why large tournaments are still held for it and there is a significant gaming community. The problem with online play in Heroes 3 is the length of the matches, because some games lasted up to a month in real time.

If you want to try your hand at online play, we recommend visiting the heroesworld portal, which contains all the useful information.

• Expanded economic system;
• Developed leveling of heroes;
• Balance of gaming needs (in leveling, construction, hiring creatures, etc.)
• You can play online;
• Balanced combat;
• The presence of an unofficial team that is constantly improving the game.

Civilization Series

Out: 1991-2016

Genre: global turn-based strategy

Initially, the game captured the minds of players with its interesting gameplay, which boils down to balancing the army, economy and development (and later culture) of the nation. The game also has a certain historicity, because all nations actually existed.

To win this game you need to skillfully create cities, build trade networks between them, enter into alliances and betray allies, create an army balance that matches your economic development and wisely develop technology.

A simple example: if you only invest in the army, there may come a time when your soldiers will fight with sticks, and the enemy will already have tanks. You can also invest only in development, but then your civilization can be destroyed by ordinary barbarians, and you will never have time to develop.

It is precisely because of the diversity of the gameplay and the variability of development that many call Civilization the best strategy of all time.

At the moment, an online game with random participants is available on Steam, allowing you to test your strengths and skills.

• Unique economic system;
• Unique research system;
• Balance of nations and play styles;
• Advanced multiplayer;
• Extended politic system.

In 2016, a continuation of the legendary series was released, Civilization 6 became the best turn-based strategy of the year on PC.

XCOM series

Out: 1993-2016

Genre: step-by-step strategy

The famous strategy about protecting the earth from the invasion of alien invaders. You are a special squad of professionals, the only stronghold of humanity in the struggle for survival. Study alien technologies, take them into your arsenal and destroy your enemies!

The gameplay of the game is tied to the tactical and economic components. Tactical includes battles with opponents, flights to the landing site or landing site of alien ships, development of fighters, choosing the right perks for them, and so on. Economic - development of the base, the right choice of technology, additional rooms, waste of resources and other things. Also, after the battle, the player receives trophies from the dead, which can then be sold on the black market or used independently in battle.

Many highlight XCOM as one of the best strategy games on PC.

• An interesting system for leveling up fighters;
• A variety of game cards;
• Many battle strategies;
• An interesting system of research and leveling up the base;
• Extraordinary endings.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert

Out: 1996-2008

Genre: real time strategy

The so-called “cranberry” strategy. For reference, cranberry is considered an unrealistic presentation of the inhabitants and ideology of the USSR, including its territory after the collapse. The game is built on this non-existent ideology. The action takes place in a parallel universe where there was no World War II, so all nations, including the USSR, were able to develop and become incredibly strong.

Later, a time machine was invented that allowed one to change the course of history. For example, the third part of the game takes place when the Russians decide to kill Albert Einstein in the past. Sending to the past was successful, the USSR captured almost all of Europe, but the war did not end - it was just the beginning.

The gameplay is standard for games of this genre, namely, you need to develop your base, hire soldiers, equipment to completely destroy opponents on the map.

• Fascinating plot;
• Balance of Nations;
• Unique combat units;

Space Rangers

Out: 23.12.2002

Genre:“epic game” with elements of RPG, turn-based strategy, arcade, text quest.

A game about a war in intergalactic space between intelligent races. The player can play almost all races, except for the Klisans and Dominators - hostile semi-intelligent races that receive orders from the main ships, which control their behavior. The entire plot of the game tells about the war of the peaceful races of the commonwealth against the above-mentioned invaders.

The main advantage of the game is the gameplay. As you may have noticed, the game does not have a specific genre, since it is absolutely difficult to classify it into any genre. But the game is often singled out as the best strategy game because players spend most of their time controlling their spaceship in separate systems. There are also arcade elements in the game, namely, when flying between systems, you can stumble upon hostile nodes, where the game turns into real-time battle.

RPG elements manifest themselves in leveling up the skills of your captain, playing the role of a good ranger or an evil pirate smuggler. Elements of a text quest appear in some tasks that NPCs give to the player, or, for example, during visits to prisons, where the player balances between being released as quickly as possible and not dying at the hands of fellow inmates. IN latest versions The games also feature robot battles on planets in real-time strategy mode.

As you can see, the potential of the game is incredibly high, and it can rightfully be called one of the best RPGs of all time, not only due to the unique gameplay, but also nice graphics, random generation of maps, planets, tasks and other things, which allows you to start the game again and again .

• A unique game world that is randomly generated in each new game;
• Developed system for playing a game role;
• A good mix of many genres;
• Exciting text tasks;
• Nice graphics.

Stronghold: Crusader

Out: 2002-2014

Genre: real time strategy

A classic strategy game in which you act as the ruler of a small city. Your task is to equally develop military and economic power. In gaming companies you can play both the role of the cruel Arab ruler Saladin and the role of the King of England Richard the Lionheart.

The gameplay, as mentioned earlier, lies in the equal development of the army and the economy. Due to its unusual gameplay, the game received recognition. Some of the game's features include:

• Your servants need to build personal houses that determine maximum amount armies;
• It is necessary to develop the food industry, because your entire military machine may perish simply because of hunger. This also creates the possibility of prolonged sieges of castles, forcing the enemy to decay from hunger;
• Almost all fighters cannot be hired just like that - they need to create weapons and armor, and for this it is necessary to collect resources.

If you play against the computer, you will notice that it creates monotonous castles, which, however, are not so easy to break through if the enemy is one of the strong ones. Still, this is one of the disadvantages that can quickly discourage the desire to play. The main potential of the game is revealed in multiplayer maps, which can be played online using Hamachi or Tangle. It is also worth noting that a clear disadvantage is that the player is tied to the starting point - it is impossible to build buildings near the enemy’s castle.

• Unique production and economic system;
• Expanded construction capabilities;
• Not a bad company;
• You can play online with friends.

Kings bounty

Out: 2008-2014

Genre: real-time strategy role-playing game with turn-based battles

The unusual combination of the genre makes the game quite interesting for beginners, and the beautiful graphics without excessive detail are pleasing to the eye. It is worth noting that in the later parts of the game it is possible to enable a 3D game mode, which must be played with appropriate glasses.

The player can choose between three classes: warrior, paladin and mage. Each of them conducts battles in their own way. For example, a warrior has an increased number of creatures, a mage attacks opponents with spells, and a paladin is something in between.

The game takes place in a fictional fantasy world, which is inhabited by fairly canonical magical creatures such as vampires, demons, and elves. The player acts as a treasure hunter, on whose shoulders rests the fate of preserving the world. First, he will have to become a great hero, recruit an army of mystical creatures in order to fight the evil henchmen.

The gameplay looks something like this: you walk around the world map in real time, and when you come across enemy units, it starts step by step mode battles where the hero can use a book of magic and spirits. Looks like a classic turn-based battle. As you walk around the map, you can communicate with the characters that inhabit the world, complete tasks for them, receive rewards, hire troops, buy items, and so on.

• Interesting character leveling system;
• Many artifacts and unique creatures;
• Interesting combat system;
• Not boring quests;
• Nice cartoon graphics;
• Many games in the series are made in the same style.

StarCraft II - online

Out: 26.06.2010

Genre: real time strategy

No less exciting game from the creators of Warcraft - Blizzard. The plot of the game tells about the battle of three cosmic races: the Zerg, the Protoss and the Terrans. Unlike Warcraft, the game is more dynamic and lacks heroes, which completely changes priorities in battles.

StarCraft also has a rich story, but it is presented to players during story cutscenes, making you merely an observer rather than a maker of the story.

Each playable race has its own advantages and disadvantages. For example, Protoss units have many additional abilities that must be used at the right time, otherwise the army will be quite weak. Considering that the game itself is very fast, you need to have fast playing and thinking skills to succeed in the game.

StarCraft can rightfully bear the title of the best strategy game on PC of all time.

The game can be played online through the Blizzard game downloader.

• Race balance;
• Balanced economy;
• Fast pace of the game;
• You can play online;
• Regular tournaments from official developers.

Warhammer 40,000 series of games

Out: 1999 - 2009

Genre: real time strategy

Warhammer is a fairly popular game not only in computer form, but also in card form. The history of the game appeared long before the development of the computer sphere (in 1983) in America, which determined the success of the series.

The history of the world tells of bloody wars for control of the galaxy, grandiose betrayals and ascensions, etc. The games in this series are not tied only to the strategy genre, because there are both CCG and action branches.

The most famous games in the series for the general public: Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, tell the story of a war for control of one designated planet between the game races. The player chooses one of the sides in the war, which has unique units and battle tactics. In the future, your task will be to seize control of the entire planet. Some games in the series divide the gameplay into two stages: global step by step control and real-time strategy. The first mode is simply choosing a point of attack, and the second is the actual battle. In battle, you need to rebuild your base, capture key points that bring one of two resources - influence, strengthen them and attack enemy bases. It is worth noting that the main objective of the game is to destroy all enemy buildings.

Almost all Vakha strategies can be played through hamachi.

• Deep history;
• Race balance;
• Each race has its own unique characteristics;
• Interesting system for improving units;
• Interesting company.

Company of Heroes

Out: 2006-2009

Genre: real time strategy

The plot of the game follows such films as “Saving Private Ryan”, “A Bridge Too Far” and the television series “Band of Brothers”. The action takes place during the Great Patriotic War.

The gameplay is a classic RTS with wargame elements. Many note that the game is reminiscent of the Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War series due to the fact that the player can independently choose the weapons with which his platoons will fight. Troops also have a combat morale scale, which affects the effectiveness of soldiers. For example, if a platoon comes under machine gun fire, its morale drops sharply, which reduces its shooting and running speed. In addition, when a squad member who was holding a weapon dies, it does not disappear, but remains on the ground where it can be picked up. The next feature of the game is the system of squad ranks, which with each increased level of fighters allows them to improve their characteristics, which creates a certain convention that the squads are not just meat.

Wargame elements also include the fact that the player can install defensive structures himself, increasing the effectiveness of fighters. All the ditches, sandbags, etc. can be occupied by your fighters to increase their effectiveness. Since the game can maintain a small limit, and the combat speed is quite low, the result is an entertaining combat simulator. Of course, this game is not singled out as the absolute best strategy, but it deserves to be at least a nominee.

• Interesting game missions;
• Unusual gameplay;
• The feeling of real battles is created;

Cossacks Series

Out: 2001-2016

Genre: economic strategy

The game stands out for its gameplay, which is based on the balance of economic and military power. The correct construction of the economy has a key role in the game, because even if you skillfully use military forces, skillfully withdraw them, divide them into groups, opening the horizon for a volley of guns, then sooner or later, with a weak economy, you will lose to the player who is more focused on economic component. Firstly, a player with a strong economy can simply spam units - he does not need to think about their safety, because there are always resources. Secondly, the availability of resources such as coal and iron determines the ability of shooting units to attack. If there is no coal or iron, the fighters cannot shoot. Food also plays an important role, as it is a constantly consumed resource. Therefore, if your population is growing, then your food infrastructure should grow accordingly.

The game also stands out in that each player can recruit a huge number of troops, which allows the use of diverse gaming strategies. Among the types of troops you can find: cavalry, melee units, ranged units, artillery. In addition, the game has technical development that allows you to recruit stronger and more technologically advanced troops.

Many players are betting that the third part of the series will be the best strategy game of 2016!

• Dependence of military power on the economy;
• Many battle strategies;
• The need to balance economics and military strength.

Anno 1404

Out: 2009-2010

Genre: economic strategy

The plot is tied to a parallel reality, which, however, repeats real historical prototypes, such as the Crusades, the dawn of early forms of capitalism, and so on.

The gameplay is tied to economic warfare and the development of colonies and settlements. You, as an effective ruler, need to correctly calculate the distribution of resources for the development of cities and conduct diplomatic relations. The combat component of the game is divided into sea and land battles, however, the opportunity to wage war is not immediately open, but later becomes one of the elements that helps to defeat opponents.

All states are divided into two types: European and Eastern. A European country cannot fully develop without spices and quartz, produced only in the east, which naturally determines the need for active trade, which is also one of the main ways to earn gold. One of the key tasks in urban planning is the construction of large cultural elements such as cathedrals or mosques.

• Developed economy;
• An interesting process of urban planning;
• Advanced diplomacy system.

Total War series

Out: 2000-2015

Genre: global strategy

Some semblance of historical strategy. Actions take place on the global world map in different periods of time - it all depends on the part of the game. The player can choose any of the presented countries and subsequently capture the entire map, depending on the established victory conditions.

But it is not for its plot and historical component that this game is singled out as the best strategy on PC, but for its gameplay. It is built on the step-by-step movement of armies, the development and capture of cities in various countries. Battles take place in real time, where the player acts as a commander, places his troops on the map and directly leads the battle. There is also a politics mode where the player makes alliances, declares wars, exchanges resources, and so on.

• Interesting policy system;
• Interesting in-game battles in real time;
• A developed system of internal events (crusades, jihads, etc.);
• An advanced system for improving cities, depending on their location.

Disciples

Out: 1999-2010

Genre: turn-based strategy with RPG elements

The game takes place in the cruel fantasy world of Nevendaar, where dark forces constantly strive to awaken. Companies for all nations are available to the player to complete. It turns out that the player himself weaves the whole story. There are a total of five nations available in the game, including:

• Hordes of undead - servants of the ancient goddess of death Mortis;
• The Empire is a race of people under the protection of the supreme angels;
• Legions of the Damned - Betrezen's demonic minions;
• The Elven Alliance is a united army of elves led by Queen Ellumiel;
• Mountain clans are harsh foothill people led by a high king.

The gameplay is classic strategy. The player’s task is to intelligently explore the territory and upgrade the army. Oh yes, unlike other strategies, here you can only hire minions lower levels, which in the future need to be pumped up, gaining experience in battle. Overall, the combat system in Disciples is unique, which is what made the game so successful. At the beginning, the player starts with one capital and a hero. Capital – unique city guarded by a very strong creature, so breaking through the capital from the very beginning is almost impossible. The war is being waged over sources of magic - one of the resources and separate outposts that allow you to hire troops far from the capital.

• A unique system for leveling up creatures;
• Races are not alike;
• Race balance;
• An interesting system for using magic;

Age of Empires game series

Out: 1997-2007

Genre: real time strategy

Quite an old game that can also claim to be the best PC strategy of all time. The main advantage of this game is custom tournaments with large prize pools reaching up to 100 thousand dollars. The reason for such sums for such an old game is its fans from rich countries who can afford to spend such sums on organizing tournaments.

The gameplay itself comes down to a balance between technology, economy and army. Each nation can move between 5 eras in battle:

• Age of Exploration;
• Age of Colonization;
• The Age of Fortresses;
• Industrial Age;
• Age of Empire.

Each era opens up new research, types of troops and buildings. If you switch between eras early, without spending money on an army, then most likely you will be crushed by “homeless people”, and if you focus only on hiring troops, then most likely the enemy will crush you with a more high-tech limit.

Many players argue that to play effectively in AOE, you just need to be able to move your troops away from volleys of siege weapons and archers, which leads to low army losses and increased economic development, due to reduced resource consumption to maintain the combat limit.

Play AOE online with friends or random players via Steam, Tangle or Hamachi.

• The need for skillful balancing of all game aspects (economy, troops, research, construction);
• Balance of all races (in the latest version);
• Tournaments with large prize pools;
• Average game speed.

Age of Mythology

Out: 01.12.2002

Genre: Real-time strategy

Age of Mythology is somewhat similar to the game described above, but still has different roots and features that allow you to build a more interesting game.

The key feature of the game is the replacement of eras with the worship of gods, which bestow special powers and new mythical creatures with special characteristics and skills, such as fire or poisonous breath, freezing a key unit, etc.

Unlike AOE, where the player only has a human and siege limit, AOM also has a mythic limit, consisting of mythical creatures such as giants, dryads, rocs and others. AOM does not have such significant prize pools as AOE, but it also has its own community, among which relatively regular tournaments are held.

You can play AOM online via Steam, Tangle or Hamachi.

• It is necessary to correctly balance all game aspects (economy, troops, research, construction);
• Balance of all races and deities;
• You can play online;
• Average game speed.

Settlers 7

Out: 23.03.2010

Genre: RTS, city planning simulator

A simulator of building cities that subsequently create a vast kingdom. The main task of the game is to correctly place buildings and create transport connections between them. The player can develop his kingdom in three directions, including:

• Military production;
• Scientific approach;
• Trading perspective.

Each development path will ultimately lead the player to victory. For example, if you choose the military path, then the focus of your development will be the army, which will subsequently try to crush your enemies. The scientific path will help you defeat opponents with technology, and the trade path will help you capture the best trade routes throughout the map, which will give you an advantage over your opponents. Each development path includes unique units.

Critics highlight good artificial intelligence, but a weak storyline.

• Good artificial intelligence;
• Expanded urban planning capability;
• Equality of development paths (economics, military development and technology).

For those who like to carefully think through global decisions and lead huge armies, the strategy genre has been created. In such games you can become a commander of a front or the leader of an entire nation. There are also strategies where you not only need to come up with battle tactics for your warriors, but also develop trade and diplomacy. Games like this are a great workout for the brain. In some of them, developers integrate encyclopedias that cover in detail events that occurred in different historical eras. The following are best strategies on PC– top 10 rating.

10. Anno

The Anno series of games opens the ranking of the best strategies on PC. The first part (Creation of new world) was released in 1998. There are 13 games in total, covering most modern eras, sometimes including alternate history. The main emphasis is on trade and providing resources to its settlers so that they improve their social status. For example, after drinking a cup of coffee, an ordinary citizen can become a merchant or a nobleman, depending on the situation. However, the gameplay here is based not only on economics. Neighboring states will sooner or later want to seize the player’s wealth. Therefore, it always makes sense to build yourself a couple of extra guns.

Caesar 3 is one of the best economic strategies on PC, in which the player will have to rebuild cities for the glory of the Emperor. After the training mission, the developers offer two options for further passage - military and peaceful. In the first case, the city will be regularly attacked by barbarians, in addition, a rebellion may suddenly begin. In the second option there will be much fewer enemies. In some missions there will be no them at all, but the requirements for the prosperity of the settlement there are much higher. If the gamer does not cope with the plan that was drawn up by the game, then the emperor removes him from the post of governor. The city is quickly attacked by Roman legionnaires. If you lose, the player will be sent to the galleys, after which the level will have to be replayed again. It is worth noting that this legion can be defeated by building a defense.

8. Total War: Attila

In 8th place in the top 10 best strategies on PC Total War: Attila. This game has both spectacular combat and a well-implemented turn-based mode on a global map. Total War: Attila takes place in 395 AD, immediately after the division of the Roman Empire into West and East. The player needs to lead one of the nations and completely capture the entire map. Difficulties begin almost immediately. Europe is under attack from the Huns, and civil wars are raging in the lands of Rome and barbarians are rampaging. In other words, the Great Migration is in full swing. The diplomacy system is well done and allows for various cunning moves. The AI ​​is quite smart and may well cause a lot of problems for a novice gamer.

7. Age of Empires 2: The African Kingdoms

Age of Empires 2: The African Kingdoms, an add-on for the remake of Age of Empires 2: HD Edition, entered the top ten best strategies on PC. Compared to the original game, the graphics have been seriously improved and multiplayer has been built in on Steam servers. New nations and four fully voiced companies have also been added. An old classic has been revived and has been very well received by fans. This remake is rightfully considered one of the best games in the entire Age of Empires series.

Command & Conquer 4 is the final part of the famous and one of the best games in the strategy genre. Despite the fact that GDI and the Brotherhood of NOD have joined forces to save the human species, the final stage of the confrontation - the fourth war for Tiberium - is just around the corner. The developers have completely changed the entire gameplay. Now, in order to receive resources, the player must capture and hold special nodes that control the growth of Tiberium. Combat units have also undergone changes and are divided into attack, defense and support classes. Fans and critics received mixed reactions to the game, mainly due to its focus on multiplayer. All other changes were accepted by the public quite loyally.

5. XCOM: Enemy Within

The XCOM series of turn-based strategies is considered one of the best games of its kind. Basically, the plot tells about the struggle of earthlings with aliens. The gamer will have to lead the XCOM organization and carry out various operations against aliens who have a strong technological as well as numerical advantage. The non-plot addition Enemy Within added new tasks, weapons and robotic mechs, for the production of which you need to build a special laboratory. The atmosphere of the game allows you to completely immerse yourself in the noble cause of protecting the Earth from aliens.

4. Civilization VI

The list of the best continues with the global turn-based strategy Civilization VI. One of the most interesting innovations was the new city system. Now settlements can occupy several cells and will provide serious bonuses to the economy, as well as science. Unfortunately, it is impossible to capture a separate quarter - the city is owned only by the one who captured the center. The goal of the game remains the same - to lead your nation to victory through diplomacy, culture or military expansion. However, the Firaxis Games studio was able to make a high-quality game, pleasing fans of the series.

3. Age of Mythology

Age of Mythology opens the top three strategy games on PC. Even ten years after its release, the game has a huge fan base. It was developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios. Like most standard RTS games in Age of Mythology, the player needs to rebuild cities, collect resources and build troops in order to destroy enemy armies and settlements. The plot of the game is a kind of mixture of Greek, Scandinavian and Egyptian mythologies. Interestingly, game AI was used in scientific research. The scientists wanted to find out what effect merging the emotional model with standard bot scripts had. According to the results, the aggressive option won 25% faster. The only drawback of the strategy was the very monotonous tasks in the company, but this did not reduce its replay value.

Everyone has long understood that Blizzard does not make bad games. Warcraft III was at one time the most anticipated and best strategy computer game on the market, so it is difficult to find a gamer who has not at least once heard of such colorful characters as Arthas, Illidan and Thrall. Well-chosen music allows you to completely immerse yourself in the history of the fantasy world. In addition to an excellent plot, Warcraft has excellent graphics, as well as a map editor that allows you to completely change the characteristics of units, textures and create your own cut scenes. This led to the creation of many unofficial maps, the gameplay of which is strikingly different from the original game. The most famous example is DotA, which has grown into a separate large project.

1. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty

Starcraft II Wings of Liberty is the most famous and best real-time strategy game on PC, which has quickly become a new eSports discipline. The Blizzard developers did not even hide that the main purpose of their game was online matches. However, there is a solo company with a cool plot. Terrans, Protoss and Zerg will once again meet on epic battlefields. The main task in any mission is the complete destruction of the enemy and his buildings. The Havok graphics engine and excellent graphics only increase the pleasure of the process. The game turned out to be long-lasting - thanks to a well-developed universe, interesting factions and online leagues that allow you to fight with other players.

Strategy is a vital part of PC culture. Whether you enjoy fast-paced real-time combat or clever turn-based simulations, great strategy games immerse you in unique, large-scale scenarios that give you the opportunity to rule empires, control space-exploring races, and command cavalry charges against enemy armies.

We present to you our selection of the best strategy games for PC. Whether you like real-time battles or turn-based battles, strategy games allow you to take part in large-scale events, rule empires, control powerful races and fearlessly fight against armies of thousands. That's why we love them. But we love some more than others.

As is the case with our selection of the best first-person shooters, we tried to make the list as diverse as possible and collect the most worthy representatives of the genre, which are still capable of taking your breath away today. The article will definitely be updated as new excellent strategies are released.

Do you agree with our choice? Would you like to add to this list? Share your suggestions in the comments.

Retired from the main list

The game very cleverly exploits the lack of options, often putting the player in front of difficult choice. You can only scan six points at a time, while the game regularly throws up opportunities for battle. You need to look for new recruits; engineers must build new communication centers to establish contacts with new territories; resources are needed to improve weapons and armor. You can't get everything at once. You may have to be content with one thing from this list. Back in 1989, Sid Meier described the game as "a series of interesting decisions," and XCOM 2 is by far the most accurate embodiment of these words ever to come out of the hands of Firaxis.

Red Alert is perhaps the least strategy-related title on our list. To win absolutely any battle, you just need to be the first to build a technical center and send 25 mammoths to the enemy base, or simply send a Chinook stuffed to capacity simple girls Tanyusha, right behind enemy lines. In a sense, the lack of balance was one of the reasons for the enormous popularity of this title. And even now the chaos that is happening in the battles there on land, sea and in the air remains attractive. In addition, the game was made free.

By simplifying the XCOM formula, Firaxis has taken a shorter route to the things that have always been at the heart of the series. At its core, this is a squad action game in which you take full care of your favorite and unique squad. Whether you're putting your fighters in bulky war machines or giving them the names of your friends (or both), Enemy Within excels at other strategy games by requiring you to take your decisions very seriously.

For this iteration of Sid Meier's world domination game, Firaxis built a new engine from the ground up. It was the first game in the series to use 3D effects and featured the unique voice of legend Leonard Nimoy. In the wide list of innovations and improvements, smarter, more aggressive AI stood out as a separate line. It's worth noting that this is where modding the game became easier, resulting in some excellent additions created by players. Civilization fans can argue for hours about which entry is the best in the series, but my favorite is the four.

The trick of FS is that both opposing sides make their moves at the same time. You have to not only plan the movement of your squad of cyber soldiers, but also predict the actions of the enemy. Before confirming a move, the game allows you to look at the actions being performed so that the player can avoid the very obvious ones. In one of my best games, I deliberately sent a soldier into enemy fire to distract the enemy while the rest of my soldiers flanked. Study move previews to act with impeccable precision and avoid losses.

Described as a cross between a board game and XCOM design, BattleTech is a deep and thoughtful turn-based strategy game with an impressive campaign system. You control a group of mercenaries, wisely distributing available funds and updating your collection of battle suits and robots.

In battles, it is necessary to aim at specific parts of enemy robots, taking into account the strength of their armor, the rate of fire, the angle at which the fire is fired, and the features of the environment. It's all a bit tricky to figure out at first, as the game isn't particularly beginner-friendly, but if you like strategy games that are rich in detail or are already familiar with this universe, then BattleTech will definitely appeal to you.

The real-time strategy Northgard, set in the Viking Age setting, borrows a lot from projects such as Settlers and Age of Empires, and also invites us to immerse ourselves in a unique expansion system that allows us to gradually increase the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe territories under our control.

Weather also plays an important role in gameplay. You need to prepare especially carefully for winter, but if you select the appropriate branch in the technology development tree, then the winter on your lands will be warmer than on enemy territories, which will give you strategic advantage. The frankly boring story makes up for it great design story missions and incredibly exciting battles in battle mode.

An almost perfect tactical action game with robots and chic design from the creators of FTL. In Into the Breach you have to fight off waves of Vek monsters on maps divided into 64 sectors, where various fortresses and plot-important objects are located. Of course, the easiest way to get rid of Vek monsters is to wipe them off the face of the earth with the help of your robots and air attacks, but to do this you will have to think strategically and keep enemies away from your buildings.

Civil buildings provide you with electricity, which serves as a kind of health scale here. Every time an enemy attacks such a building, you are one step closer to defeat. Once you run out of electricity, your team will travel back in time and try to save the world again. This is a fairly complex, compact and dynamic adventure. As you discover new types of robots and upgrades for them, you will gradually learn new ways to fight a merciless enemy.

The first Total War: Warhammer showed that Games Workshop's fantasy universe was perfect for the large-scale battles and amazing battlefield detail that Creative Assembly is known for. In the second part, many improvements awaited us - in the interface, appearance and skills of the heroes, as well as the armies of various factions.

The four factions presented (Skaven, High Elves, Dark Elves and Lizardmen) are strikingly different from each other, and when creating them, the authors thoroughly studied the background of the rich Warhammer universe. If you have long wanted to get acquainted with the world of Warhammer, but did not know where to start, then this game is perfect for you. And if you already have a wonderful original, then one large-scale campaign awaits you, the action of which takes place on a single giant map.

The War of the Chosen add-on brings a number of minor details to the game, as well as quite interesting elements like colorful, chatty enemies that appear randomly as you progress through the main campaign, each of which has strong and weak sides. You'll also find new types of enemy soldiers, thousands of cosmetic changes, zombie-like enemies inhabiting abandoned cities, the ability to create propaganda posters, and much more.

As a result, each campaign in War of the Chosen ends up being a little overcrowded, but all the changes are so well executed that no XCOM 2 fan should pass by.

At first glance, the name of the game sounds simply blasphemous. More than ten years after the release of the last Homeworld, they decided to turn the game, which was remembered for its spaceships and movement in 3D space, into another land strategy about tanks? Is this also a prequel? However, despite all the concerns that arose, Desert of Kharak turned out to be successful in all respects.

Not only is it an amazing RTS that sets itself apart from the rest of the genre's contemporaries, but it's also a great representative of Homeworld, reimagining the series and clearly capturing its magic.

The best game in the series at the moment, which has so many different details that it seems as if it was immediately released complete with a couple of additions. The region system allows you to build huge cities and motivates you to think through your actions several steps ahead. The amazing design of the game deserves special praise - yes, it takes a while to get used to the local cartoon style, but over time it becomes clear that this decision benefited the project.

It will be very interesting to see what new additions will bring to this already rich game, which is the absolute peak of the entire legendary series.

“I hope future patches and additions will fill the gaps,” one journalist wrote on the day of its release. And although Paradox's sci-fi project still has room to grow, high level updates and their regular release definitely benefit the game.

For example, with the Utopia expansion, the game's internal political system underwent significant changes (not to mention a hundred other small innovations), which gave us another hundred hours of gameplay. In addition, it is now possible to build Dyson spheres around stars in order to pump energy out of them, dooming nearby planets to icing. A cruel but fascinating sight.

Endless Legend was one of the unexpected breakthroughs last year. Following on from Amplitude's Endless Space, EL's fantasy 4X strategy game was very good, but still didn't fully realize the developer's potential. Its release went unnoticed due to the entry into the market of the high-budget Civilization:, but EL rightfully became the best game in the genre since the fourth Civilization.

It is deeper and more diverse, it has amazing asymmetrical factions, subraces, heroes, quests, etc., etc. And she looks, besides, simply gorgeous.

As much a social experiment as it is a strategy game, Neptune's Pride pits people against each other in the battle for a star system. The rules are simple: develop your systems, build ships and send them to conquer new systems. The war unfolds slowly, over a week or so, and requires attention, which can slightly spoil your real life.

Simple but elegant mechanics encourage the making and breaking of alliances, which can result in an insidious attack on your systems by yesterday's friends. Naturally, at about three in the morning, while you are watching the second dream. An accessible game that produces a ton of amazing drama.

I still love the first two Red Alerts, because there are practically no bad titles in the C&C series from Westwood, but this is the part where everything is perfect: it has the most interesting campaigns, the best units, great maps and, of course, great cutscenes.

The factions differ from each other in all respects and have much more uniqueness than they had in the original game - take, for example, the Soviet octopuses and dolphins, acting on the side of the allies. Here the authors found the perfect balance between self-irony and sincerity in cutscenes, and therefore the game was both captivating and brought a smile at the right moments.

Which, alas, cannot be said about the natural disaster represented by Red Alert 3 from EA.

If you've ever dreamed of conquering space at the head of an armada of customizable colossus starships, this strategy game is for you. It has smart, creative AI, and one full game can take weeks to complete.

You will have to monitor the economy, technology, diplomacy, culture, build up military power, forge alliances, fight in wars and dominate other nations of the galaxy. Reminiscent of the games in the Civilization series, but only larger and, in some places, much deeper.

Mechanically, Homeworld is a phenomenal strategy game with a fully three-dimensional game space. She was among the first representatives of the zharn to tear it out from one single plane.

What's more, the game boasts gorgeous atmosphere and sound design, from the Adagio for strings in the opening missions to the heart-pounding drumming of the multiplayer battles. If you like the rebooted Battlestar Galactica, be sure to play Howmeworld.

The scale of battles in Supreme Commander is rivaled only by Total War. So you give an order to a specific engineer, then spin the mouse wheel - and you watch the battlefield from a bird's eye view. And a couple of seconds later you are already looking at the face of another soldier, several kilometers from the first. Even my head is spinning.

The clash of armies, consisting of slender columns of hundreds of robots, rewards the player with the most amazing firefight that the processor can handle. SupCom is one of the very few RTS that combines naval, land and aerial equipment. And even more - with artillery, tactical nuclear weapons and experimental robots of titanic proportions.

In addition to being the successor to the best competitive strategy game of the past decade, SC2 has earned accolades for reimagining the traditional RTS campaign structure. A good example Heart of the Swarm is similar, but it was the “human” Wings of Liberty that started it: an intricate adventure, each new mission bringing to the table a mixture of working formulas.

From a scenario of defending against a zombie invasion to a planet being flooded with lava every few minutes, SC2 forces the player to relearn all of their basic elements.

Not the most obvious candidate for this list, Tooth and Tail attracted us with its with a simple glance on an RTS (and the game was clearly created for controllers), which retained all the components of an excellent strategy. The game is even closer in spirit to Pikmin than Halo Wars - units here gather around your character and carry out simple orders, and the creation of units occurs automatically, based on the population limit and available resources.

Battles last no more than 10 minutes, and the action takes place against the backdrop of a well-written political conflict between factions of anthropomorphic animals.

A game remembered today as the originator of Warcraft III, Warcraft III was primarily an inventive and ambitious strategy game that introduced many players to cinematic fantasy.

Here, for the first time, RPG elements were introduced in the form of heroes and neutral units, which had not been seen in any strategy before, and the large-scale campaign told an amazing story that completely captured the player thanks to impeccable execution. As a bonus, funny phrases were included from units that responded to the call.

The series' transition to full 3D marked the crossing of a milestone beyond which the gradual accumulation of problems led to instability at Empire's release and long-lasting AI problems that plagued players in later games in the series.

The original Rome presented us with a simple but exciting look at ancient warfare, and did it masterfully. A magnificent excursion into one of the most curious eras of military history, interesting to this day.

It was tempting to put the first part of Dawn of War on this list, but it was decided to stick with its experimental sequel, which replaced large squads with a handful of the coolest space scumbags with sets of killer abilities.

To deal with the Orc hordes, you have to control these genetically modified special forces, coordinating their actions with the raids of the Stormtroopers, the targeted fire of the Scouts and the cover of heavy weapons squads. And the Last Stand co-op mode was great too.

SSE uses some 4X strategy techniques, but makes them work in an RTS wrapper. This is a game about star empires that grow, prosper and fade away in the distant space of the distant future. Well, and about how the huge starships of these empires emerge from hyperspace towards the burning worlds.

Diplomacy is also available, but these are huge starships! Play the Rebellion expansion and see how these same ships grow to truly incredible sizes.

CKII is a political strategy. It's not only about the player leading his troops into battle, but also about the wedding of his imbecile niece. Each character matters, each has their own goals and desires. Yes, it is difficult (blame the feudal system for this), but you can get your own personal drama, right here and now.

The situation often drives the player into a corner, into hopeless situations, forcing him to do terrible things for the sake of power. Once I had to execute a newborn baby so that his older and smarter sister could rule. The Middle Ages were still a time.

The ominous blue map of the world in DEFCON was the perfect setting for a creepy tale of the outbreak of nuclear war. First, you prepare for Armageddon by stocking warehouses with supplies, placing launch silos, nuclear submarines, and setting up missile defenses. This organizational stage of the game itself is interesting for its strategic component, but the real cool thing about DEFCON is when the missiles are sent into the sky.

Blurring blurs of explosions, counting victims as city after city turns into radioactive ashes. When the dust settles, few will care about the formal victory. The multiplayer, where a complete nightmare is happening, is simply amazing.

Some games try to distance themselves from the emotional side of a war that just ended. But not Company of Heroes. It's intense, complex and brutal.

Of course, the game uses pure Hollywood techniques (the mud plumes of artillery fire are carried straight from Saving Private Ryan), but the result is the most intense strategy game in the world, perfectly capturing the tactical imbalance of World War II.

The deep strategic component and transparent turn-based combat system made Xenonauts a model among reboot games. If you're an old fan of the X-COM series, forget about your ancient discs and fossilized graphics from twenty years ago. The best way to remember the glory days is to turn on Xenonauts. If you are not familiar with X-COM, this game will give you the chance to enjoy the origins of the series with improved mechanics and details.

After Rome, the series quickly went to a dead end, carrying a heap of problems. But Shogun 2 still managed to be the game that Total War fans wanted to see again. A chic setting, polished mechanics and the honor of your leader, balancing between Buddhism and Christianity. Real difference between the clans (Chosokabe archers are the best!), and some particularly fun special units, like the Kisho ninja bombers.

Shogun 2 also offered the cool thing of a two-player co-op campaign, a great (if slow) way to conquer a continent. The follow-up to TWS2, Rome 2, was extremely ambitious, but never achieved the balance and mechanical polish that Creative Assembly achieved in Shogun 2. The second expansion, Fall of the Samurai, offered players a fantastic campaign set in the era of gunpowder, the very mid-19th century. Guns, swords, ninjas - everything your heart desires is there.

In 2012, strategy expert Tim Stone described the game as a "fresh and friendly" wargame, praising the game's impressive AI. To defeat computer generals, you will have to take full advantage of the advantages of the battlefield and diversify your tactics.

A simple and accessible interface reduces the barrier to entry, which is usually high in wargames. And after studying the intricacies of the system, you will discover incredible depths of mechanics.

Age of Empires gave us the opportunity to experience centuries of progress in half-hour play sessions, but RoN went further, cleverly incorporating elements of turn-based strategy games like Civilization. Instead of directly leading your troops into battle, you expand the state by building new cities.

When the borders of countries collide, a technological race begins between nations, a war for influence, punctuated by missile strikes and spear throws. Can you ever get tired of crushing archers and knights with tanks and stealth bombers?

The list could not do without this game, even taking into account the fact that Rise of Nations developed all the ideas contained here to the maximum. Age of Empires II still looks quite decent on PC today thanks to the HD re-release, for which add-ons are still being released. The latest was Rise of the Rajas, released at the end of 2016. Not bad for a game that's almost 20 years old.

Create huge armies, upgrade them, collect resources and enjoy exciting campaigns in this RTS. And if you get tired of the proposed campaigns, then you can always download amateur add-ons or even create your own scenarios. We are looking forward to the release of the fourth part of the game.

Let's be honest: it was very difficult to distribute the games by position. Many of us have played thousands of hours of old strategy games on PC, and are ready to defend our favorite games and series to the last. It is also impossible to dispute the contribution of many classic projects to the development of the genre - the vast majority of modern strategies are based on the principles and mechanics inherent in the cult immortal films of yesteryear. We ask you to take the positions nominally: any game from the top ten deserves to be at the top of the top old strategies. So let's get started.

21. Tropico Series

Would you like to become a dictator? The real one: with a thick beard, a loud title and his own island state. Games in the Tropico series provide such an opportunity: here you need to lead the people entrusted to you to prosperity and at the same time not forget about your interests by setting aside part of the treasury in a separate bank account.

You will have to plan city blocks, issue decrees, carry out (or ignore) the wishes of citizens, and resist rebels and foreign armies. It’s not easy to please everyone, and even take care of your well-being, but a true El Presidente will not stop in the face of any difficulties.

20. Supreme Commander Series

Game designer Chris Taylor, known for the Total Annihilation strategy, approaches the gameplay of his projects on a grand scale: here truly huge armies converge on the battlefield, and the camera soars into the stratosphere, giving the player a view of a large-scale war.

The dilogy (as well as an independent addition to the first part) Supreme Commander talks about the confrontation that unfolded between people, aliens and the descendants of earthly colonists, who formed a kind of symbiosis of the human race and AI. Battles are built on the classic “rock-paper-scissors” mechanics, and the dynamics of events are so high that in the heat of battle you will barely have time to switch between groups of units. Combined with the epic scale of warfare, this results in incredibly addictive gameplay.

19. Europa Universalis Series

History, as we know, does not tolerate the subjunctive mood, but the temptation to fantasize about “what would have happened if certain events had developed differently” is too great. The Europa Universalis series invites players to take control of one of European countries and lead it through years and entire eras - to prosperity or decline.

Europa Universalis gives room for creativity. Here you can turn some Liechtenstein into a huge empire, create an alliance between countries that in reality have always been at odds, keep Napoleon from expanding to the east - or act strictly in accordance with the history textbook. Support for user modifications increases the replayability of games in the series to infinity.

18. "Perimeter"

Old strategy from the legendary Russian K-D studios LAB, which used environmental destructibility when it was not yet mainstream. Players have access to all the joys of terramorphing: the surrounding landscape can be rebuilt at will - level the site for the construction of buildings, dig an impassable ditch, and so on.

In addition to the mentioned change in relief, “Perimeter” can boast a couple of interesting features. For example, nanomachines, with the help of which you can flexibly transform units from one type to another. Or the Perimeter - a system of protective fields covering the base with a reliable energy dome. Finally, the setting: the game takes place in the so-called. The psychosphere is another dimension that gives earthlings practically inexhaustible energy, but at the same time materializes human fears and other negative emotions. In general, this game can be called one of the most unusual strategies for weak PCs.

17. Series “Cossacks”

The Ukrainian studio GSC Game World has worked on many franchises, but is known all over the world for only two - the legendary S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series. and the no less legendary “Cossacks”. Previously, “Stalker” and games similar to it already appeared in our collections, but we have so far ignored “Cossacks”. Well, let's fix it.

The Cossacks series is remembered by gamers for its large selection of factions, large-scale battles, careful attention to the historical background, as well as the gradual change of eras, within which participants gain access to new buildings, technologies and units. Story campaigns covered certain historical events, and multiplayer made it possible to pit countries in battles that in reality had never fought among themselves.

16. Homeworld

15. Ground Control

A strategy that lacks base development, resource collection and research. All the player has to do is fight, trying to destroy the often superior enemy forces with a given number of units. By the way, they move from mission to mission, becoming stronger with experience, so it makes sense to take care of your troops.

The Ground Control dilogy tells about military conflicts unfolding between global corporations that colonize distant planets, and which, for the sake of the resource deposits located on them, are ready to literally destroy their competitors. At one time, the games looked simply fantastic, and even today they do not cause much rejection, thanks to the good detail of the units and the riot of special effects.

14. Series "Blitzkrieg"

Another series of games without base construction, but this time they can at least be captured, which can be very useful when the number of units is initially small. Blitzkrieg tells the story of World War II, offering players a look at the conflict from the perspective of all parties involved, including Nazi Germany. At the same time, historical campaigns are created in accordance with real events, so imagining yourself to be the Fuhrer and taking over the world will not work here - the Reich always loses, and the USSR and the Allies win.

Considering the lack of resources and buildings for the production of troops, the player must be able to wisely manage what he has available. Therefore, the element of tactics comes to the fore: circle all units and send them to the enemy - which means that the mission is guaranteed to end in defeat. The Blitzkrieg series is still alive today: moreover, it introduces innovative mechanics into the RTS genre, such as neural network AI, which can learn and act unpredictably.

13. Heroes of Might and Magic series

A cult series of games that combine the genres of turn-based strategy and RPG. Here gamers will have to explore the map, fight numerous enemies, as well as obtain resources and develop their cities. All this is subordinated either to certain goals determined by plot events, or to the desire to conquer the entire territory on the map in multiplayer.

Every Heroes of Might and Magic fan has their own memories associated with the series. Sleepless nights trying to punish evil, epic online battles, developing fail-safe battle tactics, arguing (or even fighting) about the superiority of their favorite faction, creating their own maps in the editor - many still play the old releases of the franchise, not paying attention to the more modern ones projects. By the way, about the quality of the games in the series: the third and fifth parts of HoMM deservedly enjoy popular love, but the rest can be ignored.

12. Stronghold Series

11. Age of Mythology

10. Total War series

“Total War” from the British studio The Creative Assembly, which today includes more than 10 games and many additions to them. If you want to rule an entire country, participate in large-scale battles, destroy entire civilizations, and all this in different time periods, then Total War is exactly what you need.

9. Star Wars: Empire at War

A Star Wars game developed by Petroglyph studio (which employs the Westwood team that worked on Command & Conquer).

Experience in creating good strategies was not superfluous: the game makers presented an excellent game that combined a fantastic setting with the usual RTS gameplay. However, there are enough original mechanics in Star Wars: Empire at War: for example, there is no collection of resources, battles are divided into ground and space, and some particularly strong hero who can turn the tide of events in the opposite direction may look at the “light”. Bonuses include excellent (even now) graphics and an impressive variety of locations with unique conditions fight for everyone.

8. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War

Also space, but unlike the fairy-tale fantasy Star Wars, it is as dark and bloody as possible. Matching the setting is the game, which is still considered by many to be the best in the Dawn of War series - cruel, furious and dynamic.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War offers players the gameplay of classic RTS games, but also pays attention to the tactical component. So, there is the usual base building and resource gathering, but battles take place with the participation of relatively small squads of units, commanders and heroes who have powerful abilities. As for the plot, everything here is as epic and pathetic as possible, missions pit humans, space orcs, elves and followers of evil gods (in additions they are joined by a number of factions, each more amazing than the other), and events revolve around powerful artifacts and destructive weapons.

7. Age of Empires series

A popular series of real-time strategies in which you can take control of one of the nations and lead it through several eras to prosperity. If you are interested in the idea of ​​a state developing over several centuries, but don’t like the slow pace of Civilization, then Age of Empires may be an ideal option.

In accordance with the rules of the genre, AoE offers to build buildings, mine gold, stone and wood, produce food, train an army and fight enemies. In addition, you need to research new technologies and accumulate resources necessary for the transition between eras - from the Stone Age to agriculture, bronze processing, iron processing, and so on. You can test your strength in single-player scenarios, where the opponent is AI, and in competitive multiplayer with other players. The publisher of the series, Microsoft, does not forget about modern gamers, so it is preparing remasters of all parts, with updated graphics and new content.

6. Civilization Series

Who among us would not want to take the place of the ruler of a country and lead it to world leadership? The global strategy Civilization makes it possible to do this: here you can choose one of the nations and lead it through several eras - from Ancient world until modern times. Throughout your reign, you will have to build cities and Wonders of the World, study technology, discover new territories, conduct diplomacy and trade with foreign leaders, and, if necessary, fight with hostile countries. All this is available in the single-player campaign and multiplayer, including on one screen, in hot-seat mode.

The Civilization series has six serialized parts, several additions and spin-offs. Of these, the first four parts are suitable for weak computers, but Civilization III is considered the best.

5. Command & Conquer Series: Red Alert

A real-time strategy based on an alternate history where Hitler was killed before the start of World War II (which prevented it from happening), and the Soviet Union gained enormous power and began to conquer Europe. Later, Yuri, a powerful telepath who strives for world domination, also joins this conflict. In Red Alert 3, players will have to join one of the factions (respectively, the USSR or the Allies, and in the third part of the series - also Japan, which also has its own plans for the planet) and go through a series of missions with various tasks, subordinate to the general plot.

The games in the Red Alert series tell a fascinating satirical story, and the story videos delight with participation famous actors– Tim Curry, J.K. Simmons and others. As for the gameplay, it is built on the well-known “rock-paper-scissors” principle, but with a rather simplified balance, which often reduces battles to a regular tank rush. However, this can be fixed: fans of the series have improved the balance (and also added new story campaigns) with the help of mods, the best of which is considered Mental Omega for Red Alert 2.

4.Command & Conquer: Generals

A game that has nothing in common except the name with the Command & Conquer series, for which it was criticized by C&C fans. But, if you don’t pay attention to this, we got a good strategy with an interesting plot about the confrontation between China, the USA and Middle Eastern terrorists, good balance and a “generals” system, through which players, by accumulating points during a mission, can unlock powerful abilities such as calling an orbital strike or launching a nuclear missile.

The strategy Command & Conquer: Generals received only one addition, and the sequel, which was developed as a shareware project, was canceled (maybe this is for the better). But fans have not forgotten the game, releasing many mods for Generals that add new campaigns and make changes to the gameplay.

3. Tiberium Command & Conquer series

The original cycle of the C&C series. The overall plot outline is built around Tiberium, an alien substance that once appeared on Earth and began to spread across the planet. It heavily pollutes the territory, making it practically uninhabitable, but at the same time it is a very valuable resource, as a result of which it becomes the cause of wars between the military-religious brotherhood Nod, headed by the charismatic leader Kane, and the international UN troops united in the Global Security Council.

In addition to its compelling story, Command & Conquer also features well-developed gameplay that would influence the development of the genre for years to come. Alas, not all games in the series turned out to be of equal quality: the successful trilogy was followed by a not-so-outstanding fourth installment, after which no new releases in the franchise followed. But, as always, the fans save the day: if the original C&C games are not enough for you, you can always pay attention to custom mods, among which Twisted Insurrection for Tiberian Sun stands out.

2.StarCraft

The famous space saga from Blizzard, telling the story of the confrontation (and sometimes cooperation) of three factions - the Terrans (descendants of earthlings), the Zerg (space insects) and the Protoss (a highly technologically advanced race). The parties to the conflict are radically different from each other, but at the same time, the developers have brought the balance to perfection, without giving any of them significant advantages.

StarCraft is a perfect strategy game in all its aspects. Here is a plot full of pathos and epic with memorable characters, varied missions and the opportunity to play for each side of the conflict. There is a fascinating multiplayer, thanks to which the game has become a popular e-sports discipline. Finally, the project encourages creative people by allowing them to create their own maps and scenarios in a local editor. Today, StarCraft exists in two editions: the original game, which is distributed free of charge, and the remaster, which has improved graphics, sound and expanded network capabilities.

The WarCraft trilogy takes place in a fantasy universe where there are constant wars between humans and orcs, mixed with conflicts with elves, undead and other races. All games in the trilogy are distinguished by fascinating missions, many of which deviate from the usual base-building genre, an exciting plot, as well as interesting characters, among whom even the negative ones have clear motivations and can evoke sympathy (you don’t have to look far for examples - who didn’t empathize with the fate of Arthas ?). Not without dynamic multiplayer and an advanced map editor (which at one time served as a tool for creating DotA). To this day, WarCraft is deservedly considered the standard of the RTS genre, for which it receives first place in our selection.

Special nomination: Dune Series

When talking about old strategies, we cannot fail to mention the Dune series, which had a huge influence on the formation and development of the RTS genre. What can I say - it was Dune II from 1992 that is considered the first real-time strategy (although some dispute this opinion, giving the palm to the game Herzog Zwei).

The Dune series is based on the plot of the novel of the same name by Frank Herbert, and tells about military conflicts in the distant future that unfold between the ruling Houses of the descendants of humanity. However, familiarity with the original source is not necessary here: the games have a self-sufficient history, no less interesting than in the books. The gameplay will not be a revelation for a player familiar with strategies: building a base, extracting resources, producing an army and mercilessly destroying enemies. Today, these games no longer stand up to competition with modern projects (and with other heroes in this collection too), but every fan of the RTS genre should know about them.